European Vice President to Address UMass Lowell Grads

* M E D I A A D V I S O R Y *

Sunday - June 5

10 a.m.

WHAT: Margot Wallström, the first vice president of the European Commission, will deliver the commencement address to nearly 2,000 graduates of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. As a champion of sustainable production, Wallström has lauded the University's efforts to create and promote environmentally sound systems. She also is spearheading efforts toward European unification - which suffered setbacks over the past week when French and Dutch voters failed to ratify the constitution.

* Wallström will be available to answer press questions when the ceremony concludes around noon. *

WHERE: Tsongas Arena, Downtown Lowell

WHY: Wallström, who also is the European commissioner for institutional relations and communications strategy, previously served as European commissioner for the environment and as a member of the Swedish Parliament.

She will receive an honorary degree, along with geneticist and microbiologist John Beckwith, who is currently working in the Genetics Screening Study Group in Boston; and Eric S. Lander, former leader of the Human Genome Project and current director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. James V. Dandeneau, vice president of Memry Corporation, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Following the University-wide commencement ceremonies, receptions for each college will be held in various locations on the arena grounds. Additional information is available at www.uml.edu/commencement/.